The play: Plays are divided into tragedies and comedies. Tragedies are generally sad, while comedies are funny. The oldest tragedies that we still have were written by Aeschylus around 500 BC. We also have tragedies written by Sophocles (around 450 BC) and Euripides (around 425 BC). The oldest comedies that we still have are by Aristophanes, and were also written around 425 BC. Some later comedies were written by Menander around 350 BC. Plays are also written in verse, like poems.
Performed for special occasions (festivals). Athens had four festivals worshiping Dionysus -- (Bacchus) god of wine, fertility, rebirth. The son of Zeus and Semele, a mortal, reared by satyrs, killed, dismembered, and resurrected (actually reborn)
Dramas were competitive -- prizes awarded to actors and playwrights --Oedipus apparently didn't win 1st (was 2nd) -- 430 B.C.
Choral, a chorus of men, with singing seems to have been an important part (varied in size form 3 to 50) -- many think the choral song -- dithyramb-- was the beginnings of Greek drama (but origins are unclear). Some believe the chorus sang, moved, and danced. Most believe the chorus underscored the ideas of the play, provided point-of-view, and focused on issues of the play and implications of the action, established the play's ethical system, and participated in the action
Closely associated with religion - stories based on myth or history.
Greek Art - Khan
Parthenon
Dionysus
AristotlePlatoSocrates
Oedipus
Different Kinds of Greek Drama
Four Qualities of Greek Drama:
source: http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/spd130et/ancientgreek.htm#Com
History of the TheaterGreece and Rome
The Greek TheaterHistory of the Theater Stage Structure
Links to ResourcesGreek Art Gallery - Ancient GreeceGreek LiteraturePrintables masks/colorpagesGreek Wars